Ferroelectric Polarization-Switching Dynamics and Wake-Up Effect in Si-Doped HfO 2 .

Ferroelectricity in ultra-thin HfO offers a viable alternative for ferroelectric memory. Reliable switching behavior is required for commercial applications; however, the many intriguing features of this material have not been resolved. Herein, we report an increase in the remnant polarization after electric field cycling, known as the "wake-up" effect, in terms of the change in the polarization switching dynamics of a Si-doped HfO thin film. Compared with a pristine specimen, the Si-doped HfO thin film exhibited a partial increase in polarization after a finite number of ferroelectric switching behaviors. Polarization switching behavior was analyzed using the nucleation-limited switching model characterized by a Lorentzian distribution of logarithmic domain-switching times. The polarization switching was simulated using the Monte Carlo method with respect to the effect of defects. Comparing the experimental results with the simulations revealed that the wake-up effect in HfO thin film is accompanied by the suppression of disorder.